KNDS, the manufacturer of the Leopard tank and Caesar howitzer, unveiled a next-generation artillery system at the Eurosatory 2026 Fair in Paris. The Loras (Long-Range Artillery System), a 155 mm howitzer, is integrated onto a tracked Boxer chassis and can reach 60 kilometers with standard ammunition.

KNDS engineers emphasized that the system's 58-caliber barrel is longer than all artillery systems currently in production within NATO countries. The Loras barrel is approximately 12 percent longer than the 52-caliber barrels used in most modern European artillery systems. When compared to the U.S. M109 Paladin howitzer's 39-caliber barrel, the Loras advantage becomes even more pronounced. The system utilizes the Artillery Gun Module from KNDS Deutschland and a barrel manufactured by KNDS France in Bourges.

During a briefing at Eurosatory 2026, Pierre Septfons, an engineer at KNDS France, stated that a prototype of the howitzer had been fired and that the company aims to transition to serial production between 2032 and 2035. Septfons disclosed that the company received support from France's General Directorate of Armaments during development, though KNDS provided the primary funding. While the system can reach approximately 100 kilometers with rocket-assisted or base-bleed ammunition, KNDS plans to focus on conventional ammunition and collaborate with partners on advanced projectile development.

A critical factor in the Loras design is barrel erosion. In the U.S. ERCA (Extended Range Cannon Artillery) program, 58-caliber barrels experienced excessive erosion, leading to program cancellation in 2024. Septfons explained that the Loras combustion chamber is larger than the ERCA system and produces a gentler pressure curve. He also highlighted that European artillery manufacturers have developed significant expertise in extending barrel life through continued development of 52-caliber systems.

The howitzer's automation is more advanced than that of the Panzerhaubitze 2000, with fully automatic ammunition loading in the Loras. Operational reports from Ukraine indicate that fully automated systems have lower battlefield availability rates compared to simpler designs like the Caesar, yet KNDS aims to overcome these challenges through modern electronics and an entirely new loading mechanism. The barrel cost is stated to be only marginally higher than a 52-caliber barrel.